Electrically operated robots find wide application in industry. Variable frequency drive or variable speed drive techniques allow robots to be built with electric motors that offer many degrees of freedom and can easily be controlled by a computerized system. Each such motor currently requires a source of electricity and a connection to a controller which can operate the drive electronics. The electrical supply often requires thick cables to carry the necessary current for operation, while the controller connection requires a separate cable or cables.
When the electric motor connected to the supply and control cables is movable, then the cables must move with the motor. In the case of a robotic arm, multiple motors may each be cabled, and all cables must move with the arm.
Interference on the electrical supply may occur in these robotic systems which is caused by the operation of the electric motors and their related inverters. For the high-current, high-power motors often used in robotics, there can be substantial “noise” or interference on the supply connections. There is also a need for improved robotic systems that are less
There is a need for a more reliable, agile and flexible system.